Before you start backing up to the cloud, there are a few considerations you need to discuss; how much it’ll cost, how long will it take, is it safe, and whether it’s good for data recovery. Amazon Web Services is a popular cloud storage provider for businesses, so let’s look at that.
AWS Glacier is Amazon’s cheapest option, marketed by the company as offering “significant savings compared to on-premises solutions”. The cloud service currently costs $0.004 per GB per month, so an archive of 100TB will cost you $5000 a year. Bear in mind, though, that regular archives will accumulate very quickly. It is also worth remembering that many cloud providers – Amazon We Services included – will charge you to restore your backup. While inbound data is typically free (barring storage costs), there may be a charge for outbound data.
In terms of the question “how long will it take?”, there are two things you need to look in to – how long the transfers will take, and how long it will take for restores to start. Most cloud storage packages, including AWS Glacier, can transfer data at tens of GB per second, with this obviously being dependent on your internet speed too.
Is your cloud storage solution safe? Keeping data safe is one of the most important considerations when choosing a cloud storage package, and AWS Glacier encrypts all data automatically. Your data is encrypted using Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) 256-bit symmetric keys and securely transfers data over Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). But once you’re assured your data is encrypted, you need to decide who has access to the encryption key. Are you able to manage your own keys, or does your provider need to? In the event of needing to undertake data recovery, it's vital that you have your key on-hand to prevent delays.
One of the main reasons for having a cloud storage solution is the ability to successfully restore your data in the event of an accident, without the need for data recovery. The cloud offers businesses a great chance to implement a good, solid data recovery plan without needing to go to the expense of building a dedicated data center.
